Arihanta is the term used in Jainism to indicate the person whose soul is devoid of all evils. The word ‘arihanta’ is compounded from ‘ari,’ meaning enemies, and ‘hant,’ which means destroyer. Here the enemies refer to the feelings of anger, greed, ego and deceit. A person succeeding in overcoming these feelings is said to have attained the state of Arihanta.
An Arihanta is believed to be a person with pure knowledge, pure perception and infinite power. In such a state the soul is said to be passionless.
The Tirthankars, who are the establishers of the Jain order, fall under the category of Arihanta. They are worshipped as the Jain gods. The ordinary Arihantas are not responsible for establishing the Jain order. Instead they spend their life preaching the religion. However, according to Jain scriptures, in the modern world there are no Arihantas.
